Marty Parker-54

Name: Marty Parker
Email: martyparker@windstream.net
Age at time of Dissection: 54
Type of Dissection: Descending
Date of Aortic Dissection: 23 December 2010
Tell Us Your Story:

I am female. I was pulling on a board in the bottom of the closet and felt a pain in my back. Pain got worse and spread to chest as well. I went to the hospital and was given morphine which did not relieve the pain but was given nitro glycerin and pain started easing.

A CT scan was done and it was discovered that I had a dissected aortic aneurysm. I was transferred to a larger hospital and was in CCU for 8 days on pain and blood pressure meds. The Doctor consulted over several days with doctors at the Cleveland Clinic. The decision was made that I needed open surgery and repair with dacron graft. The Doctor said the aneurysm was only 4.3cm.

It took about 18 months for me to feel normal again but am very thankful the decision was made to do the open surgery. I believe I would have died if they had sent me home on meds. I am followed closely by my cardiologist. I do have an enlargement of the ascending aorta as well.

My fried was diagnosed with a type B aortic dissection (about 3cm) on Tuesday (6/2014). Today is Friday and she is finally being moved from ICU. She is very high energy–yoga, line dancing, mowing her large lawn, and everything she does is over the top. She is about 120 lbs, vegetarian heading to vegan. and was not on any meds. A cardiothoracic surgeon has been attending her case and he believes her condition can be controlled with meds. My question: after a time of recovery from this initial diagnosis, will her activity level need to be altered in any way?